1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drying unit comprising a heat pump cycle device and an air circulation path, the heat pump cycle device performing a cycle of radiating, with use of a radiator, the heat of a refrigerant compressed by a compressor, then allowing the refrigerant to pass through a pressuring reducing/expansion unit and be evaporated by an evaporator, then compressing the refrigerant again by the compressor, the air circulation path allowing air to be circulated by a blower in such a manner that the air heated by the radiator is introduced into a drying chamber to dry the laundry, then the air exhausted from the drying chamber is dehumidified by the evaporator and is thereafter heated again by the radiator, as well as a laundry washing/drying machine equipped with the drying unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a laundry washing/drying machine equipped with a drying unit, the drying unit comprising a heat pump cycle device and an air circulation path, the heat pump cycle device performing a cycle of radiating, with use of a radiator, the heat of a refrigerant compressed by a compressor, then allowing the refrigerant to pass through a pressure reducing/expansion device and be evaporated by an evaporator, then compressing the refrigerant again by the compressor, the air circulation path allowing air to be circulated by a blower in such a manner that the air heated by the radiator is introduced into a drying chamber to dry the laundry, the air exhausted from the drying chamber is dehumidified by the evaporator and is thereafter heated again by the radiator. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-229954.)